Sorry this is going so slowly and kind of lamely. I'm going to try to be better. I swear.

Dick did pretty well for almost an hour. He sipped the water every time he felt himself nodding off and he set up as many cross reference checks as he could think of. Unfortunately the computer hadn't find anything before he dozed off.

Equally unfortunately, that was the time that Damian reappeared from where ever he'd been hiding. "Grayson," he snapped when he came down into the Cave.

"Mm?" he asked sleepily, lifting his head and squinting at Damian. "Hey Damian. How are you doing? How was patrol?"

"Fine," he said. "And it was fine. You aren't fine. Why aren't you in bed?"

"I'm helping," he said with a yawn. "I was just taking a nap. Look," he said, pointing to screens. "I haven't found anything about who's done it, but look there's a clear sniper angle from buildings around each of the sites of the murders."

"Obviously," Damian muttered at him.

"But," Dick continued, "they all have stair access. There were a few other potential places they could have shot from, but they didn't. Whoever did it they only used buildings they could climb up," he yawned so widely it hurt his head, "on their feet."

"So you think they are just a standard boring assassin," Damian asked. "Also, shouldn't you be resting? Yesterday was a disaster. If Pennyworth finds out that you are out of bed..."

"Damian, what's going on?" Dick asked turning away from the computer. Suddenly he was terrified. It was one thing for Damian not to insult him every three minutes, it was another thing for him to express concern for Dick's welfare. Something wasn't right. He also wished he'd made Tim bring him a blanket because now he was cold again. "You haven't told me to go die in like two days and it wouldn't even be that much effort for me to do it right now. Are you okay?"

"Yes," Damian snapped. "So do you think then that the killer is a standard, normal, human assassin?"

"Maybe," Dick agreed. "But then there has to be a pattern to the kills. Once we find it we'll have a better idea. And you didn't answer my question Damian."

"Nothing is wrong with me Grayson!" he snarled. "Why do you persist in this?"

"Because next thing I know you'll be hugging Tim and I'm not sure I can handle that," Dick said.

"I will not hug Drake!" Damian snapped. "I'm just," he broke off quickly and made an irritating tt sound, "Don't want you to die. Particularly from something as embarrassing as brain surgery."

"Damian," Dick said, throwing his arm out to grab the boy's shoulder. Damian looked at him suspiciously but Dick just smiled. There was the Damian he knew and loved. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going die and I'm not going to to go away just because Bruce's back. I'll always be here to go through hours and hours of street camera footage with you if that's what it takes to solve a case. Even if I keep falling asleep."

"Tt."

"I gotta stand up," Dick informed him.

"Why? Damian asked.

"'Cause Bruce needs me to stand up for this speech that he's giving."

"You'll fall."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence," Dick muttered.

He set his teeth determinedly and pushed the chair back, forcing his weight up onto his legs. As expected it hurt. He took a deep breath and started to count. Damian sat next to him with one eyebrow raised quizzically and Dick managed a tight smile at him.

About a second before Dick realized he was going to fall down, Damian did. He sprang up, grabbed Dick and forced him back into the chair.

"Thanks Damian," he muttered, catching the boy and not letting go of him for a little longer than was strictly necessary. It was nice to know that Damian was close to him. God what was he going to do when Bruce came back and took his Robin away? Could Nightwing use a little sidekick with a bad attitude?

But no, that wouldn't be fair to the boy. He deserves to train with Bruce, Dick hissed at himself. God if it wasn't for this pounding headache he wouldn't even be having these stupid thoughts.

Damian didn't pull away right away either. Bruce must have shaken him up more that Dick realized. Dick wished Damian would admit it, so they could talk it over, maybe, maybe share a hug and then move on as best they could but that was about as likely to happen as a heart to heart with Bruce that involved chocolate and chick flicks. Dick wouldn't know what to do with that anyway.

Even if he didn't really want to let go of the kid, figuratively and literally, he also didn't want to embarrass Damian by letting Tim find them almost hugging.

"How long was that?" he asked breathlessly as he let go.

"One minute and eight seconds," Damian said.

"Damn it, I'm getting worse," Dick muttered. "Maybe I need a nap."

"Why don't you do that then?" Damian suggested. "I will continue your research."

"Sounds good," Dick agreed. "Is it okay if I do that here? I don't think I'm going to make it over to the bed."

"Yes," Damian agreed.

"Kay," he said with a yawn.